Fate On A Boat
by Katarinea
Summary: Neither of them expected what came. They were just in it for the money. And then, they weren't.  -rated for concepts and death-


Eiya looked out over the jungle landscape beneath her as she flew into Booty Bay. She had come a long way from the green grass and brown talbuks of where she grew up. The plants here were so strange compared to Draenor - really, what was the purpose of those strange "palm" trees, and why were they called that? They looked nothing like her hands. . .

As the gryphon landed, she drew her mind back to her task and neatly hopped off the back of the stately beast. She was here because the goblins were apparently hiring mercenaries to guard their ships, and paying well. She wouldn't consider herself a mercenary, exactly, but Eiya wasn't going to turn down easy money. Perhaps she would run into a few orcs that would not attack her on sight, and they could talk about Draenor. As she took the stairs that led out of the busy gryphon loft, images of life before Draenor was corrupted danced through her head. As the stairs came to an end, she stepped out of the way of the stream of people entering and leaving the loft to think for a moment. She hadn't heard much about the mercenaries being hired, just that they were. . . She shrugged and clapped a hand onto the shoulder of a goblin guard, squatting down to talk to him. "Hey, short stuff, do you know where the hired mercenaries are going?"

"Oi, hands off! Yeah, I know. If you're lookin' to get hired, the shipping office is two levels down. Watch your step, kid, we've been havin' a lot of trouble with Horde and Alliance spats. Keep your nose clean." With that last curt warning, the sturdy goblin stepped away from her and went back to surveying the maze of docks and streets for trouble. Eiya raised an eyebrow and stood up to find the shipping office. On her way down the two levels of docks, she dodged and ran into many people. She called curses in Orcish after the humans, gnomes, and dwarves that had run into her, and curses in Common after the orcs, trolls, tauren, and undead that ran into her. Confusing the people made her grin - it was great fun knowing three languages. She found it curious, though, that no elves ever ran into her. They always just slid by, as if they were (supremely annoying) water.

It didn't take long for her to find the office and be hired, though she hadn't been able to show them how she fought. She had received a small amount of advance payment, and would get the rest once her boat got to its destination: Ratchet. The boat was leaving in three days, so she rented a room in the inn and settled in to wait.

**. . .**

**. **

**. . .**

Eiya kicked the shattered bucket off the side of the ship and began to sulk quietly. This gig wasn't working out the way she had hoped for it to. Not at _all._ It was only her second day on the ship, and she was already exasperated beyond belief. She had to _share a hammock _with a troll. Said troll was named Zul'ka, or as she had dubbed him in her head, 'Zul'idiot'. His Orcish had a strange accent to it, and when she told him so, he gave her a scornful look and told her that _she_ was the one that sounded funny! After that, he'd proceeded to steal the fruit that accompanied her supper and hog the already-small hammock. She'd barely gotten any sleep the night before, and what little she did get was interrupted by the loud snores of not just her hammock-buddy, but over half of the room.

"Ah, Eiya." Her eyebrow twitched as her ears registered the sound of Zul'ka's voice. "De captain's lookin' for someone to take de red-eye watch shift. He says whatever the shifts get lined out to t'day is what dey're going to be for de whole trip." She turned and raised an eyebrow at him, not believing her ears. Here was an excuse to get to sleep during the day, _without_ rude trolls taking up her hammock. . .perhaps the Light had decided to smile on a simple warrior such as her.

"I'll take the shift. Are you reporting back to the captain, or should I tell him?" Though her voice was level and her face was flat, Eiya was nearly giggling on the inside. She would still have to share a hammock for half of the night, but half of the night was much better than all of it. Even better, she wouldn't have to deal as much with the rest of the mercenaries that had been hired for the trip.

"Don' worry 'bout it. I'll tell de captain." He ambled away, humming some nonsensical tune under his breath as he walked. Then he paused for a moment and called a last sentence over his shoulder. "Oh, by de way, de watchmen's in pairs, so you got a watchin' buddy." She just shrugged and let him walk away. A partner wouldn't be all that bad, and it did make sense to have a watch-partner, in case someone fell asleep. Oh, she couldn't wait for tonight!

For the rest of the day, she walked around in what was, for her, an uncharacteristically good mood. . .not that anyone knew. She hummed songs, smirked, and only mocked three crewmembers. Beside that, she even smiled at Zul'ka and let him have a quarter of her mango. When she settled into the hammock for her first half-night of sleep, she fell off into dreamland quickly, smirk still plastered on her face.

"'Ey, lil draenei, is time for ya to be wakin' yaself up. Dey be callin' for de watch to change." Eiya drifted into wakefulness slowly, the rocking of the boat slowly trying to convince her to stay unconscious. There was a weight on her shoulder, warm and soft, and she half-pushed into it as she opened her eyes. She was greeted with a vaguely familiar tusked face above hers, and she wrinkled her nose at the stink in the air. The troll's name came to mind and then she regained her self-consciousness.

"Ugh, Zul'ka, your breath stinks. Ever heard of washing your mouth?" She mumbled before yawned and reached for her armor. She had shoved it against the wall when she went to bed, and now she dressed quickly. "Thanks for waking me up."

"It ain' no problem, girlie." She glanced over at him and nearly choked; she hadn't noticed his sleeping attire the night before, and now it was painfully obvious that he did not, indeed, have much in the way of "sleeping attire". He reclined in the hammock in an odd sort-of loincloth, and when he noticed her wide-eyed staring he offered her a suggestive grin and wink. "Like whatcha be lookin' at, eh? Don' worry, you ain' the only one to enjoy de view."

Eiya twitched and turned around to finish dressing, hoping that he didn't notice the delicate purple that tipped her ears. How indecent of him - she slept in her undershirt and the pair of pants that went under the plate and mail armor she loved, but he - she discontinued her train of thought. she quickly buckled on her pauldrons and grabbed her huge sword from where it leaned against the wall and tore up the stairs to the deck, not paying attention to the rustling and thumps in the room behind her. Getting on deck wasn't hard, but getting to the crow's nest _was._ Eiya sighed morosely as she eyed the rigging that led up to the high perch. After a long minute staring down the rope, she slung her sword over her shoulder into the holster on her back and made for the rigging. Halfway up, she paused at the sound of thumping below her and twisted to see what was going on down on the deck. She was rewarded for her efforts with a glimpse of a vague blur that shot across the deck and tackled the rigging. The ropes began to shake wildly, and she froze, half-afraid of falling to the deck. The blur passed her by quickly, leaving behind a vague scent of mango and sweat, and she shook her head at the fast scoundrel that was probably her watch partner.

Once the rigging stopped quaking, Eiya continued up, the ropes vaguely slippery between her fingers. After a few more minutes of grueling climb, she reached the wood of the crow's nest and fell over into it with a huge sigh of relief. The warrior pushed herself back onto her feet quickly and managed to wave nonchalantly at the blood elf and undead that were leaving the nest; the hardest part was not wrinkling her nose when she smelled the rotting body of the latter. Once they were gone, she turned to greet the person she would be sharing the watch with for the rest of the voyage -

And the bottom dropped out of her stomach. Across the nest, Zul'ka perched on the edge of the wall and looked out over the sea, hefting a portable telescope in one hand and holding his pack in the other. She gaped at him for a moment in dread and surprise, and then she managed to sputter a few words. _"What the nether are you doing up here?"_

The lanky troll twisted the top half of his body to greet her, grinning wickedly. "I'ma be watching' wit' ya, sistah. Don' worry, Zul'ka's good at watchin' out for strange t'ings." He waved a hand at her and hopped backwards to settle down on the small bench that encircled the main mast so that whoever was on watch could sit.

"I took this shift so I could get away from you, you. . .you. . ._ass!" _She howled at him, albeit quietly.

"Oh, well, dat's a shame. I guess de pretty draenei didn't get de tiger fur after all." Zul'ka said, eyes twinkling with a hint of laughter curling up the corners of his mouth. "Don' worry, Zul'ka gonna be on his best behavior. _Promise."_

Eiya just huffed and turned away to sit on the other side of the mast, grumbling various obscenities under her breath in Draenic. After a few minutes of anger, she quieted down and resigned herself to the situation she had found herself in. Hours passed and the two of them sat quietly, with the only sound breaking the silence the rush of the waves and rippling of the furled sails. As the hours went by, the coolness of the night air seeped into her skin and made her shiver. She found herself earnestly watching the horizon, waiting for the golden tint that signaled the morning so that she could go to her hammock. Her warm, soft, cuddly hammock that didn't smell like the cold salt of the sea. She didn't care if she _did_ have to share it with an idiot, it was still warm. Staring at the horizon just strained her eyes, so she looked away and closed her eyes for a moment to ease the strain. A few seconds later, something soft and thick settled over her, and her eyes flew open. Zul'ka was leaning against the mast, one arm supporting him as he stared at her. His silence unnerved her after a moment, and she snapped at him. "What are you doing?"

He gestured at her and she looked down to see that a thick blanket, woven in intricate patterns with many colors, had been draped around her shoulders. "I can hear ya shiverin' from miles away. Ya never been on de sea at night before, or ya woulda brought ya own blanket."

Stunned by the thoughtful gesture, she looked up at him, opened her mouth and closed it, only to repeat the action two or three times before she could speak. "I. . .you don't have to give me your blanket. . ."

"Oh, I din't. I bring two blankets, one for sittin' on and the other for stayin' warm." His eyes twinkled at her and she felt something quietly warning her. "And don' worry, Zul'ka ain't gonna be cold." She sat still for a moment, deciphering his sentence, and then. . .

"Ack! You gave me. . .you gave me your _ass blanket?"_ She hissed, eyes thinning dangerously. Zul'ka just chuckled at her before he turned around and went back to his side of the main mast. She sat and sputtered for a minute or two more before giving up and snuggling into the blanket the stupid troll had given her. It was warm and smelled like strange things, vaguely reminiscent of the Stranglethorn jungle. She smiled as the scent of mangos drifted to her nose, and then she returned her gaze to the horizon. It wasn't much longer - or maybe it just seemed like less time had passed because she was warm - before a golden tint began to touch the sky, and she eagerly awaited the moment the orange touched the dark blue waters spread out all around her.

When the sun started peeking over the edge of the water, Eiya and Zul'ka stood simultaneously and stretched. She yawned and he followed her lead, the uncanny similarity in their movements unnerving her. Slowly, she approached him and shrugged the blanket from her shoulders to hold it out to him. "I. . .er, thank you for the blanket, even if it was under your ass." The first part of the sentence was said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear; the second part of it was muttered under her breath. The throaty gurgle of his laughter told her that she hadn't been as quiet as she intended, and the tips of her ears turned purple again. She dodged the awkwardness by climbing over the edge of the nest and starting on her slow downward descent. Zul'ka passed her quickly, just like the night before, but this time she didn't bother with glaring at his strange speed. Instead, she focused on not looking down more than was necessary to find her footing. When she finally reached the deck, she saw the beginnings of morning activity, and saw the people that would be on the next watch passing her and heading for the rigging.

Another yawn split her lips as she headed beneath the decks to find her (regretfully, probably already occupied) hammock and catch the rest she had been dreaming about while sitting on watch. Sure enough, as soon as she stepped into the room that the mercenaries were sleeping in, she saw the mostly-naked form of her hammock-buddy stretched out in the netting. A sigh gusted past her lips as she marched past the hammock and began to strip off her armor. She shot a quick glance at the troll that she had spent the night with, and decided that perhaps the voyage would not be so bad if he was as nice as he had been during watch. Now, to figure out how to get into the bed. . .

**. . .**

**.**

**. . .**

The days passed in a daze, and the routine that had been set up during the first night helped them survive through more of them. They would wake up, climb up to the nest, exchange a few words, and settle into watching. Eiya brought her own blanket now, but part of her mind whispered that Zul'ka's had been softer. Two or three times, she had woken up just after noon to find her body splayed across that of the tall, lean troll; they had both decided not to speak of it, though she _did_ sleep better on those nights. . .

Now, she sat and stared at the horizon once more, her mind blank. She had thought about everything possible she could think about, and now she was bored beyond all belief. There was only so much wave-watching that one could do. . .

Her thoughts were interrupted by a strange humming coming from the other side of the mast. It sounded vaguely like a song, but it didn't resemble any of the songs she'd ever heard, whether they had been Draenic or Orcish. She tilted her head backwards to listen - it wasn't unpleasant, just strange. The sound lasted for a few more minutes, and when it died down, she pondered for a moment before speaking. "What was that?" She asked, glancing back as if she could see him through the post. "The song you were humming, that is."

"De song I was singin' is a sleepin' song for baby trolls. It gets in me head, and den it don' leave 'less I sing it." Zul'ka's voice floated from the other side of the mast.

"Really?" She thought for a moment and scooted closer to him so she could see the side of his face. "What's the song mean?"

"It don' mean much, just a lil song to make de babies sleep. Mudder sang it to me and me brothers." Eiya tilted her head and imagined a tiny troll baby - the thought was almost too cute to bear.

"Could you. . .sing it for me?" She asked hesitantly, absentmindedly lifting a hand to her lips and gnawing on the edge of her thumbnail. "I mean, you don't have to, but I'd like to -"

"Don' worry, I can sing it fo' ya. Ain' no trouble to sing." Zul'ka was silent for a few seconds and then he began to hum before he started singing. _"Day is done, gone de sun, from de lake, from de hills, from de sky, all is well, safe rest, de loa be nigh." _Silence hung in the air between them, the gentle wash of the waves against the hull the only things that broke the quiet. The gentle thrum of the troll's voice rang in Eiya's ears as a phantom while they sat, silent and chilly. After a few minutes sitting the hush of the early morning, she made a decision and opened her mouth.

"_Naaru's slumber kiss your eyes, light awaits you when you rise. Sleep, pretty baby, do not cry, and I'll sing you a lullaby." _She paused for breath and then continued, not daring to glance at her watch-partner. _"Care you know not, therefore sleep, while I over you watch do keep. Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry, and I'll sing you a lullaby._" The last notes of her voice faded into the mist, and she held her breath, anxiously awaiting judgment.

"Ya sing nice. Mudder sang better, but you ain' bad." Zul'ka murmured, turning his head and looking at the profile of the draenei for the first time in days. In the dim half-light that came not long before dawn, he could see the purple flush that suffused her lovely blue skin.

"Thank you. You. . .you sing very well, yourself." She mumbled, half to herself, but he heard and smiled a roguish smile at her.

"De first time I remember Mudder sang dat song is when Juk'thar, me brother, was gone on his shadow hunt. He's a good shadow hunter, like Fadder; I just like talkin' to de animals." He chuckled, the sound deep and low in his throat, before continuing. "I'm a one-animal kind o' troll, too."

Eiya furrowed her brow and asked a question. "Do you have a familiar animal?" She knew many hunters, draenei, night elf, and dwarf, that had several familiars. It_ was _rather. . .strange to find a hunter who only had one animal companion, but not unheard of. Just odd.

"Yeh, I do. His name be Goki, a laughing-dog from de Barrens. Missing a bit of one leg, but he a good boy. Likes runnin' down wateva we be huntin'." He grinned again, and Eiya found her eyes strangely riveted to his face. The smile seemed to transform him. "I remember dis one time we was suppos'ta be huntin' raptors, an' he decided he din't fancy dem for dinner. So, what de damn dog does is he goes afta a tauren - you know, de moo men - and starts gnawing on he leg. I hadda good laugh, but dat moo was madder den a goblin in an empty bank."

As Eiya listened to the story about his pet, her eyes grew wide, and when he got to the part about him gnawing on the tauren, she barely managed to choke down her laughter. As it was, a series of snorted giggles issued from her mouth. After enjoying herself for a moment, she calmed down and managed to talk. "I can see that happening. . ." She drew a breath and smiled faintly. "One of my friends on Draenor, she was. . .I think she was what you call a shadow-hunter. She had a sporebat from the Zangar marshes, and it was a strange little animal. I do not think you know what a spore bat is, but. . .think of an Azerothian bat, and combine it with a mushroom. That is a little bit what they look like."

Zul'ka crossed his eyes in an attempt to make the requested image. When he uncrossed them, he promptly turned to her and gave her an strange look that was probably confusion mixed with something else. "Dat is one _hell_ of a weird creature, girlie. I don' thin' I wanna go visitin' dose damn marshes any time soon if dat's de kinda shit dey got."

She laughed in his face. "They're hard to describe, nothing on Azeroth really looks like them. Whatever you imagined is probably nothing like spore bats. They are pretty, and they look - hmm. They look a little like the cloud serpents, but soft and smooth." The troll's look of confusion and other indecipherable things never wavered. "But, the point remains. My sister had a spore bat, and it was very strange. Normal spore bats eat. . .not meat, but mold, and plants. But this spore bat was very very strange, it was always trying to take our cheese. Not our meat, like her wolf would, or the bread, like a normal spore bat, but our cheese. Once, it took a large piece of cheese the size of both my hands off the table, and it ate the whole thing. It was too much food for it, though, because spore bats are rather small animals. The house was empty when it took the cheese, and the next person to come in the house was alarmed. The spore bat laid there, on the table, and it was not its normal color, and its belly was huge!"

Eiya took a breath and continued. "It was the neighbor that came into the house. She had asked Mother for some talbuk meat and she was returning the favor, but when she saw the bat, all thoughts of the meat flew away. She went for my mother, who was out tending the vegetables and the boar. They came back, and Mother did not know what to do. She tried to pick up the bat, and it vomited all over her. Talbuk-milk cheese is. . .strong _before_ it is eaten. After being eaten, the smell is so strong it is grotesque. Mother threw up, and then the neighbor threw up. Then my sister walks in, takes a look at everything, and picks up her bat and throws it outside. Everyone cleaned up, and then sister went and made her bat throw up all the cheese it had eaten. After that, Mother started telling that story to the young draenei in the village, to show them that too much of anything is bad for you. For the bat, too much cheese was bad. For Mother, too much bat was bad. For the neighbor, too much vomit was bad."

Zul'ka didn't bother muffling his laughter - he snorted two or three times during the story, but at the end, he broke out in guffaws. He laughed and laughed, even though the story hadn't been _that_ funny. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he calmed down. "Sorry, is just dat. . .sometin' like dat happened to me brudder. It was a bit differen', but it was real interestin', and. . ." his sentence broke off and he laughed again. "Animals is always good fo' a laugh." She nodded and smiled, eyes twinkling. "See, what happened wit' me brudder is dat. . ."

So they passed the rest of the night, until the sun peeked over the horizon. Lots of funny stories about animals were traded, and when the hint of gold broke across the waters, they didn't immediately bolt from the nest. Zul'ka offered Eiya a hand to help her out of the nest, which she didn't turn down, despite that it shocked her enough to give him a warm, genuine smile. They traipsed across the deck and down to their shared hammock in a friendly silence, rather the awkward quiet it had been. Eiya drifted to sleep quickly, her thoughts gently swarming. _Maybe that idiot troll isn't so bad, after all._

**. . .**

**.**

**. . .**

Zul'ka slumped against the side of the boat and groaned. It had been a month and eight days since the journey started, and every single one of those days had been fucking _torture._ He would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed Eiya while they were boarding the ship, but he never would have thought that he was sharing his hammock _and _a night watch with her. At first, he had been elated; maybe he could get a little. . . _something_ on the side during the journey. Then, as the days passed, he found himself noticing her more and more. Her voice was smooth and slightly husky, and when they talked at night it was enough to make him shiver. Her hair was gorgeous; sometimes it was all he could do to keep from reaching out and petting the silky black locks. Her lips were positively sinful, and he couldn't _look_ at her without imagining what they would feel like, pressed to his mouth, his skin. . .

The worst of all, though, were her hands. They weren't anything particularly splendid or beautiful, they weren't soft and sleek. Her fingers were long and covered in calluses, her skin was often dry and rough. It was the way they moved that captivated him. She had a tendency to gesture when she was talking, and her fingers and hands would weave pictures as she spoke. His mouth always went dry when he watched her hands, but looking at her face was barely any better. He'd resolved to stare somewhere beyond her shoulder when he was talking to her. Even when he wasn't looking at her, or near her, his hands still ached to feel her skin; the want to kiss her was omnipresent, and rarely faded from its dull throb. He couldn't bring himself to touch her, though. . .something warned him away from it.

So, instead of talking to her, he stayed away; instead of touching her, he looked away. Instead of finding a part in the strange camaraderie that was trying to develop between them, he just. . .didn't. They still talked, but he had discovered as he became more friendly, it became harder to resist her. So he was cool and reserved on the outside, and torturously bothered on the inside.

Somewhere across the ship, Eiya was completely and utterly confused. Zul'ka had been acting strangely distant lately, and she had no idea why. She thought they were friends, or at least acquaintances, but as they got to know each other better, he retreated inside himself. His friendliness and warm demeanor had cooled, and his responses had become perfunctory during the night. As the thought of their watch flickered across her mind, she glanced up at the sky and noticed it was beginning to turn a dark blue. She wrestled her way out of the rigging hanging around her hiding spot among some of the crates lashed onto the deck and headed inside, where she wolfed down a hunk of bread and cheese alongside a thick stew. Once she was full, she sought out her _(their)_ hammock and laid down to get a head start on sleep.

She woke up five and a half hours later, to Zul'ka's warm body pressed against hers. She was nestled into the curve of his body, one arm thrown across her stomach and the other splayed wide beneath her head. His breath ghosted across the side of her neck, and she was pressed close enough to him to smell the warm musk of his body. Eiya went to get out of the hammock, but couldn't bring herself to it, and instead she laid in the troll's arms for a few more minutes, soaking up his heat. Eventually she heard the tell-tale thunk of boots on the stairs that meant the other people who were on night watch were coming down. She finally stirred and slipped out of the hammock to dress. Once dressed, she knelt by the hammock and shook Zul'ka's shoulder. "Zul'ka, it's time to go on watch. . .Zul'ka?"

He woke up slowly, eyes heavy and rather groggy. "I comin', girlie. Don' worry 'bout Zul'ka none." She smiled a half-smile at the barely awake troll and slipped out of the room to head up to the nest. Even if he was slow tonight, she couldn't wait on him; they were on watch, after all, and _someone _needed to be watching!

She got up to the crow's nest quickly and without half the fear she used to have. Zul'ka had teased her mercilessly about her fear of heights, and it had helped her get over the irrational fear a bit. Just a bit. She sat and stared out over the sea, and a few minutes later, Zul'ka showed up. Rather than the laughter that had rung out over the empty waters for most of the trip during their watch, it was deathly quiet; the only sounds were their breathing, mingled with the gentle lap of the waves against the hull of the boat.

After two hours of stony silence, Eiya broke it. "So. . .do you like hardtack?"

Zul'ka didn't respond, just stared out over the sea.

"What about jerky?"

More staring.

"Dried fruit?"

He remained quiet. Eiya did not. She burst to her feet, eyes burning and cheeks dark purple with anger.

"I do not know what in the Nether is your problem, you - you - troll! But I am trying to be nice, and if I am doing it wrong, then tell me so, but do not ignore me! You are being incredibly. . .incredibly. . .ugh! I do not know who spat in your talbuk meat, but I cannot think of anything I have done wrong to make you nag - mrrphhh!" She is suddenly cut off.

Zul'ka crushed her lips with his own, smothering her in a tide of burning, passionate kisses. Her face fit perfectly between his tusks, and he tasted like spices, smoke, and the desert, with a faint hit of hardtack and dried fruit. His hands latched on to her arms and held them in a vice grip. She struggled in surprise and shock for a moment, but then the lightning rocketed through her, from her lips all the way down to her toes and back at the same time. Eiya melted and pressed back into the kiss.

He tore away from her and bruised her lips with short, fierce kisses that made her head swim and gave her trouble catching her breath. Her thoughts fluttered inside her head and her stomach began to swarm with butterflies, and then suddenly the warm breath and hot pressure against her lips was gone. "_Dat_ is de damn reason I can' talk t' ya! Ev'ry time I look at ya, I want t' take ya t' my hammock and not let anyone see a peep o' ya f'r days, ya damn woman!"

Her eyes went huge and her mouth dropped. "You - I - you mean. . ." She trailed off, stunned into silence. They stood there for a moment, cool night air whipping around them and chilling their skin. Eventually, she chanced a look at him through her eyelashes, and was jolted strangely aware when she saw him watching her with an intense stare that made her skin crawl. The silence thickened and flavored the air with their emotions, confusion and lust swirling around them. Then a smile began to creep across her lips, and she looked up at him, eyes slit and twinkling. "That sounds fun."

Then his jaw dropped and she laughed at his awestruck countenance.

**. . .**

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The rest of the journey is full of clandestine, secret moments. Zul'ka discovers he likes pulling Eiya into tiny corners of the ship and kissing her breathless. Eiya discovers she quite likes the way he twitches when she strokes his ears. They spend half the time in their hammock curled under their blankets with their hands greedily roaming each other's skin and sharing each other's breath. It makes both of them smile and Eiya is in an uncharacteristically good mood for the rest of the trip.

When they finally reach Ratchet, they are among the first to book a room at the local inn. It will be a week and a half before the ship takes off again, so they make the most of every moment on dry land. Their first night together is filled with gasps, snickers, and moans. When the ship finally is ready and they get back on, they are ribbed about the glow to their skin and the look of sleepy satisfaction whenever they are around each other.

It doesn't take long for Zul'ka to realize that Eiya is not going to be just another fling. His want for her cannot be sated; every time she smiles, his heart skips; every time she touches him, his heart speeds up; and every time they kiss, he feels like he will explode. The realization makes him mope for a day. He had always hoped to settle down with a troll girl that would make his family happy, but after the initial pouting, he decides Eiya is better than any troll by far. For one, he had never met a troll with such _lush_ curves that drove him wild beyond all recognition. . .

Once they are at Booty Bay, she finally gets to meet Goki, his "laughing dog"; she tells him the proper name is a hyena. He offers her a tissue, and it takes her a moment to realize that he thinks the word sounds like a sneeze. They travel to the Barrens together and adventure for a little while through the wilds of Dustwallow Marsh and the Thousand Needles. Then she accidentally drinks the wrong thing during their stay in Tanaris and barely reaches his hip for a day. He takes advantage of her by walking ahead; she gets back at him by teasing him until he couldn't think that night. Un'Goro leaves them feeling damp and sticky all the time, and something in the air makes them desire each other with a strange fervency. They travel around the huge crater-basin and she discovers just what sex feels like with the possibility of danger nearby. It is exhilarating. She firmly denies him when he begs to go to Silithus - she firmly draws the line at bugs twenty times her size. So they travel back to the Eastern Kingdoms and take a boat from Booty Bay to a little-known port at the edge of the Arathi Highlands. From there, they ride for days until they reach the lands that are choked with plague and disease. The western half of the Plaguelands makes her immeasurably angry at the Scourge, beyond all reason. The eastern half leaves her in tears after they help a young girl's ghost find her father's spirit. She firmly resolves to kill Arthas if she ever has the chance.

After the Plaguelands, she begs him to go to what is now known as the "Outlands" with her. She wants to see her old home in Nagrand, to feel the blessed air of their temples. They go, and she is sadly disappointed. She discovers the road made of the bones of her kinsmen, and weeps for days. Then they travel through Zangarmarsh, which cheers her slightly. She meets a few old acquaintances, and then she is once more reduced to tears by the plight of the Lost Ones. Then to Terrokar and Shattrath they go, to meet the being she so reverences. Zul'ka is awed and amused, and takes to calling A'dal "de damn great wind-chime". She is unamused and deprives him for the night every time he says it. Then they reach Nagrand, and she is delighted to discover that Telaar is still intact.

It is in Nagrand that they part, though. Trolls are not welcome in Telaar as members of the Horde, so he makes his way to Garadar. She spends much time in Nagrand; he moves on to Shadowmoon Valley. They write letters to each other constantly. One day, though, she receives a letter that is not from Zul'ka. It is from the Argent Dawn. They are asking for her aid in preparing an offensive against Arthas. She goes, elated at the chance. She and Zul'ka spend one more blissful week together in Shattrath, and he tells her he got the same letter. It is with a solemn, sad look that he tells her that the Horde is in greater need of his services at the moment, and they part, saddened but hopeful. A mage helps her find the portal to Ironforge, and from there she takes a majestic gryphon to the Plaguelands to meet with the Dawn.

During her training for the offensive, she is sent out on a mission. The only thing that returns is a piece of her horn. The Dawn sends a sad letter with her commendation and the small bit of her to Zul'ka. When he gets the package - he breaks. He rages for days against the Dawn and curses them in between bouts of intense grief and loneliness. He goes back home with Goki and they wallow in their grief for a long year. Eventually, when the Horde sends out a call for heroes to go to Northrend, he rouses from his stupor with his anger firmly directed in the direction of the dread King.

While he is traveling, everything reminds him of her. The beds in some of the inns, the food he eats (she loved fruit so!), and even the animals he sees. Every time he sees a hunter with a spore bat for a pet, he thinks of her. He is tired, and lonely, and vengeful. He is broken, and sad, and angry. _He misses her. _Every night that he is able to think beyond "food" and "sleep", he lays awake for hours.

He even sees her in other draenei. Some days, he will be winding his way through the great mage-city of Dalaran, and he will catch a glimpse of someone in the distance that makes his heart beat fast and gives him hope. He knows, though, that it cannot be her. Death is permanent for all but those who serve the Lich King, after all.

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None of the characters mentioned are mine. They all belong to Jinxi, for whom I wrote this story. I hope it's okay!


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